2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season (funnycomixking)
After the cataclysmic event occurred in 2020 that helped create Omega, here came 2021, which is now set in a world with a hyper La Nina, most of the shear and dust blasted away, and multiple recovery efforts to try to come back from the physics-breaking damage caused. Unfortunately, if you thought 2020 was bad....2021 is a nightmare not to be reckoned with.... Once again, records were shattered with the 2021 season. First of all, it produced the highest ACE index recorded in January due to the fact that Omega had crossed over from 2020, and was a Category 5 when it had crossed over. 58 named storms occurred, which also beat the record of 49 set in 2020. Other records set involved the fact that the Carolinas saw the most landfalls in any consecutive years, and that left the Outer Banks all but obliterated. Thankfully, no storms crossed into the 2022 season this time. With the water, most of the cold water had been displaced to the far northern Atlantic, especially north of Nova Scotia, which did not help. Timeline Complete timeline of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season Systems Tropical Storm Ana A cold front that had moved through the United States had produced an area of low pressure as it began to move eastwards into the Atlantic Ocean. The low pressure system slowly organized, attaining flare ups of convection and it began to develop a spin, prompting the National Hurricane Center to upgrade the system as Tropical Depression One. The NHC finding out that a tropical depression had formed already in January worried forecasters, as Omega, the Category 5 hurricane that obliterated many locations, had dissipated 9 days earlier. Due to only marginally favorable conditions due to it being winter, the depression struggled to develop, but early January 19th, it had become Tropical Storm Ana, making it the first time in five years a tropical storm formed in January. Ana had turned towards the northeast, encountering still marginal conditions conducive for development. It reached its peak intensity of 50mph before beginning to weaken as it encountered much cooler waters, causing Ana to dissipate into a post-tropical cyclone at the 11pm EST update. Tropical Depression Two An area of low pressure formed in the Gulf of Mexico from a decaying cold front that had stalled over. This disturbance had quickly became an unstable size to have development occur, and chances of development of this area of interest had begun to decrease as it slowly drifted westward. However, it slowly began to attain a circulation around a center, with gale force winds reported, and the chances increased. Once it had finally developed enough convection, it had been designated Tropical Depression Two on March 4th, and wind warnings had begun to be issued for southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Two began to curve north, keeping its intensity of 35 mph before making landfall in far southern Texas, barely a tropical depression. It quickly weakened, becoming a remnant low as it drifted northward. Only minor flooding occurred, as only some of the low-lying areas received the bullseye of rain, which was upwards of 5 inches maximum. Minimal damage occurred as well, however, forecasters were surprised a tropical depression had formed in March of all months. Tropical Storm Bill An area of low pressure coming from Florida found a conducive area of development in the Gulf of Mexico as it drifted westward, and it soon began to develop tropical characteristics. Due to the potential threat to the Gulf Coast, the system was designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone Three on April 16th as it curved northwards. Once it had developed enough convection six hours later, it became Tropical Depression Three. It slowly strengthened more, becoming a tropical storm another twelve hours later, earning the name Bill. Bill encountered a cold front at a very low latitude which began to rip Bill apart, and it weakened rapidly until it became a remnant low on April 17th. The remnants were then absorbed by the cold front as gusty winds and rain affected Louisiana. Minimal damage occurred due to the fact the cold front had absorbed Bill prior to it making landfall. Hurricane Claudette A tropical wave emerged from Africa, encountering little to no dust from the Saharan desert, causing the wave to slowly organize over time. Finding a favorable environment with warmer than average temperatures, and low wind shear, it began to took advantage of these conditions, and it slowly organized becoming Tropical Depression Four as it advanced towards the Leeward Islands. Right after it had passed, it had become Tropical Storm Claudette as watches and warnings became issued. The storm began to deepen gradually, intensifying into a hurricane mid-day on May 13th whole moving westwards. Due to continually favorable conditions, the storm continued to intensify, reaching its max intensity of 105mph, before land interaction caused the storm to weaken before Claudette made landfall in Haiti with 100mph sustained winds. Due to more terrain being interacted with, Claudette continued to weaken, and by the time it had made landfall in Cuba, it was a minimal hurricane. The storm did not go back in the water, and it stayed in land, causing the center of the system to collapse, and Claudette was designated as a remnant low on May 16th. Claudette caused moderate damage to southwestern Haiti, and interrupted some of the recovery efforts being made in both Cuba and Haiti. Overall, $93 million of damage was to blame from Claudette, and 16 deaths occurred as a result. Hurricane Danny An area of low pressure moved NNE began to circulate and produce areas of convection despite moderate wind shear and a semi-unfavorable wind pattern. Despite this, the system still organized and was designated as Tropical Depression Five as it curved northward. It began to perform an anti-cyclonic loop, becoming the fourth early-season tropical storm of the season, as well as earning the name Danny. Danny completed the loop before moving north again, gradually intensifying. The storm then sharply turned eastwards, as a result of being influenced by a cold front coming from the west. The storm then intensified into a hurricane briefly before it began to acquire extratropical characteristics as it curved to the north slightly, weakening into a tropical storm. By May 19th, the storm had become fully extratropical and advisories were discontinued. Minor rip currents from Danny were the only threat from New England. Hurricane Elsa An area of low pressure formed in late May in the central Atlantic where it then encountered a moist environment, which were remnants from a surge of moisture in the Gulf of Mexico that had moved northeast. As a result of this moisture encounter, the system began to flare in convection, and the system began to rotate, prompting advisories on newly upgraded Tropical Depression Six, on June 2nd. The storm quickly intensified, becoming Elsa 6 hours later. Elsa quickly intensified, becoming a hurricane 24 hours after being named. Due to highly favorable conditions at the time, and the fact a high pressure system had caused Elsa to move northward, Elsa rapidly intensified, developing an eye, and reaching its max intensity of 115mph. After that, cooler waters began to weaken Elsa, and although the cold never bothered Elsa anyways, wind shear took hold and weakened the storm. It began to acquire extratropical characteristics and was designated as a post tropical cyclone on June 8th while it moved northeast. Due to the excessive amount of memes and the large criticism about the name, Elsa was retired by the WMO, and replaced with Evelyn for the 2027 season, although fans of the name were irritated that it was retired for "no reason at all" while haters called the name "a disgrace." Tropical Storm Fred A tropical wave emerged from the African coastline, where it slowly began to organize while getting caught in a subtropical ridge, causing the system to began to curve northward. As this was happening however, enough convection from warm sea surface temperatures, causing the storm to be upgraded to the seventh tropical depression of the year. The storm took its time to strengthen, mainly due to southwesterly wind shear. However, it finally achieved a well-defined center, and it became Tropical Storm Fred on June 4th. Fred began to curve eastward, this time thanks to an area of high pressure to the west of the system. Fred gradually strengthened to its peak of 70mph on June 6th while turning back north, before once again encountering enough shear to begin slowly weakening the storm as it continued to gradually drift northward. It weakened to a tropical depression briefly before restrengthening back into a weak tropical storm later on June 9th. However, due to how far north Fred was, the system began to acquire extratropical characteristics, and it had fully transitioned by June 10th and advisories were discontinued on the storm. Hurricane Grace A tropical wave merged with an area of low pressure causing the storm to quickly gain tropical characteristics, and the NHC designated Tropical Depression Eight early on June 9th. Thanks to favorable conditions, the depression intensified into a tropical storm only 12 hours later, earning the name Grace. Grace gradually intensified, becoming a hurricane June 12th, before a pocket of wind shear weakened it back to a tropical storm. However it did not stop Grace, as it re-intensified back into a hurricane 6 hours after weakening. It quickly intensified into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall in the northern Yucatan Peninsula with winds of 100mph. Forecasters had expected Grace to stay in land longer and for it to weaken significantly, but that was not the case. The Brown Ocean Effect happened instead, and the storm only weakened to 85mph instead, worrying forecasters. The storm quickly re-intensified into a Category 2 hurricane, thanks to 30 degree Celsius waters. Grace continued to intensify quickly, while slowing down, rapidly intensifying into a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 miles an hour before making landfall near Houston with that intensity, which made it stronger than Harvey from 2017. The storm continued to slow down, weakening as it made a curve around, weakening. Grace managed to re-enter the Gulf of Mexico afterwards, now June 17th. Grace weakened to a tropical depression due to continued land interaction, but managed to strengthen back into a minimal tropical storm before making landfall in northern Florida before weakening into a remnant low while moving northwards. The remnants of Grace meandered north before getting absorbed by a cold front on June 20th. Grace managed to cause devastating impacts in Houston, with as much as 83 inches of rain falling in some areas, making it the wettest tropical cyclone on record. Multiple rescues were needed throughout eastern Texas and western Louisiana. The winds caused major damage in those hit by the eyewall, and the coastlines of Texas suffered major beach erosion. In total, $240 billion of damage occurred, along with 915 deaths, many due to drowning. Grace was retired in the WMO meeting in 2022, and replaced with the name Gretel for the 2027 season.Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:Hyper-active seasons